Gainful employment is a reality for most Druids. This forum is a place to discuss challenges and opportunities facing Druids in the workplace.

Forum rules
If you find a topic of interest and want to continue the discussion then start a new topic under The Hearthfire with a similar name and add a link back to the topic you want to continue.
To copy a link just copy the url on the top left of your browser and then put in your post, highlight it and press the url button.

I'm late to this too, but wanted to chip in. When Iet my husband I first met I had long hair and his was about an inch long. Now I look back at those photos it just looks so wrong! Now he has beautiful long brown curly hair and I have a peculiar combination of longish bits, undercut bits, some of it's a grade one, some of it's layered (it looks like awesome folk-punk, trust me) with a dyed section at the front that is constantly changing colour. My reason for this is that I am an absurdly flamboyant person in a terribly dull job and it makes me feel more like me. My colleagues love it and have been known to vote on which colour comes next! As long as your hair, clothes, make-up, whatever makes you happy and allows you to do your job then no-one else should be able to make you change it. And everyone has a different definition of sexy and whether or not they want to be that so we should refrain from projecting our social attitudes on those around us and work on understanding them so that we can gain a greater understanding of others and the world in general. Aaaaaaand breathe...

"It's all in your head... you just have no idea how big your head is" Lon Milo Duquette
(haven't read the book yet, just love the quote!)

I am now curious to see your haircut, Gravely! It sounds really interesting and fun.

I know, for me, long hair was always the preference because my mother always hounded me to cut it short. I got my hair cut really short earlier this year and, frankly, I cannot wait for it to grow out. It was a cute, funky hair cut, too! But ... I just couldn't do it. I like my hair to appear groomed, neat, and shiny, no matter what length it is, and I try to keep it at or a little below my shoulder blades (it becomes wild and stringy at any other length). I've definitely been pressured by various people throughout my life (mostly Mom) to keep it professionally short, though. It's fun to say, "But I'm an artist! I'm supposed to go against the flow!" ((hee hee))

I love short hair on some women, though. It can be really beautiful with the right facial structure.

"We are happy when for everything inside us there is a corresponding something outside us."
~ William Butler Yeats

I'm 50 years old, have blonde dreads down to the small of my back, am male, have worked in professional settings and in retail, to be honest, I've gotten nothing but kind questions or compliments from the older generations. The only strange looks I get are from the neo-nazi types. The shaven head thing gets to me because that was a symbol of monk-hood or slavery for centuries, and when I see the neo-nazi set doing it I wonder, do they realize they are not showing off their manhood but rather showing off their feelings of fear and inadequacy? wink But that's just how my mind works.

In the professional world, shorter hair is useful as it's a sign of conformity, and like the Buddhist monks a mode of not distracting the mind to things of beauty and pleasure. It's a sign of a person who lives to work, to function in a system. I know you hear, 'oh its easier to maintain' but whenever I hear that I think there is something more going on inside the speaker. The chieftains and warriors of old kept their long hair, a sign of strength, even virility, of independence and personal liberty. The Roman soldiers often wore their hair shaven on the sides, or in 'raven's wings', again a sign of submission to an authority.

These dreads are taken from my time in the Hindu temple, a legitimate root of a very ancient custom. The only trouble I've had with the deeper questions is the assumption they are a sign of a drug-addled lifestyle. Anyone that gets to know me for more than five minutes realizes this is not true.

To the high schooler - rock and roll, do what you feel! I've managed to survive a half-century transgendered, or as it is referred to professionally, gender dysphoric. The best way to survive with your sanity in this society is simply to be who you are, and hope like crazy that the times get more and more progressive. We fought in the 60's and 70's for our personal freedoms, let's not let them keep slipping away.

As a hairdresser of 30 years to read such different views and terminology is great and thought provoking.

Putting together some thoughts for my 'druid service', this was really interesting.

And in my opinion...? I have several. As a bard, be creative. As an ovate wear the cut that makes you feel good. As a druid we lead rather than follow, our own taste wins every time, style before fashion etc etc.

I have a bit of a tomboy streak, and I tend to keep my hair short. Right now, I find it more 'me.' I may grow it out later on, but right now I identify with the lioness and her short hair. I'm not sure I will grow it out during my working years. Right now, I also dye my hair. When I am 50 AND it is the right shade of silver I plan to go natural.

I'm 50 years old, have blonde dreads down to the small of my back, am male, have worked in professional settings and in retail, to be honest, I've gotten nothing but kind questions or compliments from the older generations. The only strange looks I get are from the neo-nazi types. The shaven head thing gets to me because that was a symbol of monk-hood or slavery for centuries, and when I see the neo-nazi set doing it I wonder, do they realize they are not showing off their manhood but rather showing off their feelings of fear and inadequacy? wink But that's just how my mind works.

In the professional world, shorter hair is useful as it's a sign of conformity, and like the Buddhist monks a mode of not distracting the mind to things of beauty and pleasure. It's a sign of a person who lives to work, to function in a system. I know you hear, 'oh its easier to maintain' but whenever I hear that I think there is something more going on inside the speaker. The chieftains and warriors of old kept their long hair, a sign of strength, even virility, of independence and personal liberty. The Roman soldiers often wore their hair shaven on the sides, or in 'raven's wings', again a sign of submission to an authority.

These dreads are taken from my time in the Hindu temple, a legitimate root of a very ancient custom. The only trouble I've had with the deeper questions is the assumption they are a sign of a drug-addled lifestyle. Anyone that gets to know me for more than five minutes realizes this is not true.

To the high schooler - rock and roll, do what you feel! I've managed to survive a half-century transgendered, or as it is referred to professionally, gender dysphoric. The best way to survive with your sanity in this society is simply to be who you are, and hope like crazy that the times get more and more progressive. We fought in the 60's and 70's for our personal freedoms, let's not let them keep slipping away.

Bendithion,
Gwernen

Gwernen,
I really appreciated reading your views in this thread, very heartfelt. I am originally from England, currently working in Canada. My experience has been that people in the UK have been less judgemental to you directly - this can vary greatly depending where you go/live/visit in both countries. I work in the Human Services sector and see the erosion of personal freedoms all too frequently.
I am not open about being on a Druidic spiritual path but do not deny it if asked.

Blessings to all
Aine

Dance to your own tune, laugh till it hurts and enjoy being part of the mystery

I have my hair at shoulder length because I like it this way. I am female in a professional setting many of the women around me have it shorter. Colour is an interesting factor - I have seldom had comments about the length of my hair but the colour is a different matter.

Blessings
Aine

Dance to your own tune, laugh till it hurts and enjoy being part of the mystery

I have very short hair, but it's not because I want to conform, or be professional, or look "manly", it's just because I like it and it suits me. I actually look pretty awful with long hair!

I do find it a bit disheartening to hear men, or anyone, say "you'd be attractive, if..." about anything. Attractive to you, maybe, but what is attractive to one has no bearing on what is attractive to another, and I didn't ask you anyway I don't think having short hair eliminates any of my sex appeal at all, nor does it make me more or less professional. If I had thicker hair, I would love to try growing it out, but again, it would be for me and not for anyone else. But I am very much of the "wear what you want! Life is short!" camp, and I know many disagree with that.

If the haircut in your picture is still your current one, I do not think you have to worry about it being 'manly' at all, Ghyslaine. It suits you well and is very feminine.
I agree that the unsolicited advice of "you'd look better if you...." is very rude. I've always prefered an alternative style, and while I was growing up many people felt the need to inform me how attractive I could be, only if.... I usually took the time to inform them the way I thought they'd look better as, and they didn't usually appreciate it either, but it got the point across. As I got older, and absolutely as I left school, people cared less and less. Family doesn't so much remark to try to change me anymore, but they do laugh from time to time. I usually choose to ignore it at this point...after all, if they're how old, and still worried about what another person chooses to put on, who's looking like the fool at this point?

I wish that were me in my picture, but it isn't I did have hair like that as a child, but not any more. Mine is closer to this. And I love it, I have never received so many compliments as I have since I made the decision to cut it.

Unsolicited though it may be, I love your style in your own icon. Especially that colour. It is true that people seem to care less as I get older, you still find the occasional curmudgeon, but the people around me are kept around me for a reason, they don't judge about those things

I don't think your haircut is anymore manly than my husband's haircut is womanly(he appears quite masculine, really). Funny how mainstream society has men's hair as short, and women's as long...why is it so, I wonder...
Thank you for the compliments on the picture! That's actually me in my wedding dress. I tried to dye my hair to match the dress, but it didn't come up exactly right. However, its blue now...I find varients of blue and green easiest to maintain in the summer sun.

late to this party ...but here goes..... I personally dont care about how women's haircuts are "supposed" to look. My wife has had long hair...she was unhappy, she has had shoulder length hair...again unhappy,.....she has had really short close cropped and spiky hair....very happy .....she has had longish spiky hair...again very happy...i say this women are creatures of natural beauty...how they style their hair,{once you know them} only adds to that......and if we let something as simple as a hair style determine whether someone is "manly" or "feminine" well i fear we all have some more maturing to do.